• Analyze just about anything
• Design steel, concrete, wood, cold-formed, and aluminum
• Excellent graphics and reporting
• Just enough features to get your job done right (see: levels)
• Browse features below, or download the data-sheet.

• Frames, Trusses, Grids, Beams, Tanks...
• Beam or Truss Members, Plate/Shell Elements
• Elastic Spring Supports
• Auto-meshed Areas (for easy wall or slab modeling)**
• Tension-only/Compression-only members or spring-supports
• Cartesian, Polar, Cylindrical or Spherical Coordinates
• No built-in size limit (20,000+ nodes are practical)
• Typical Manufactured Shapes: Steel, Wood, Aluminum, Cold-formed
• Parametric, Custom or Shapes imported from ShapeBuilder
• Just about any Material, Libraries included, Customizable!
• New: CAD-style selection box
• New: Generate linear copies
• Simple, Rigid, Semi-Rigid** Connections
• Catenary Cable Elements**
• Many Ways to Construct Models, including:
  • Sketch models graphically
  • Copy & Paste existing objects
  • Import/Export DXF files, Clipboard text
  • Legacy or Interchange File Formats: STD, SDNF, or POL
  • Customizable parametric generation

• Automatic Load Cases & Load Combinations
• Built-in Support for IBC, ASCE7, AASHTO, etc. Combinations
• Customizable Load Combinations.
• Semi-Automatic ASCE 7 Wind Loads (Method 2)
• Static Loads: Concentrated, Distributed, Pressure, Thermal, etc.
• Area Loads (keeps model and loads separated so changes are easy!)
• New: Area Edge Loads (in or out of plane)
• Dynamic Response Spectra, IBC & Customizable
• Dynamic Forcing Function, Time HIstory analysis**
• Moving Loads** (Crane Beams)
• New: Automatic live-load pattern load combinations**
• Import Load Combinations**

• Static Analysis (1st order, P-Delta, Iterated)
• Dynamic Analysis (Sparse Lanzcos, Newmark)
• Superposition Results and Envelopes**
• Member Internal Forces, Displacements, Diagrams
• Plate Forces, Stress, Contour Diagrams,
• Edge Results
• Automatic Mesh Refinement with Auto-Meshed Areas**
• Nodal Reactions, Displacements
• Graphical Results Viewing
• Sophisticated, Customizable Text Reports
• Spreadsheet report, and save directly Excel XLS**

• IBC 2009, 2006, CBC 2007, and more load combinations*
• Smart and flexible setup: bracing, deflection checks, size constraints
• Design parameter overrides**
• Steel Design for frame and truss members (AISC, CISC)*
• Wood Design for frame and truss members (NDS)*
• Aluminum Design for frame and truss members (ADM)*
• Cold-Formed Design for frame and truss members (NAS)*
  RSG Software's CFS is used internally to perform these checks
  
• Concrete Design of Beams, Columns, Flat Slabs (ACI)*
• New: Steel seismic compactness checks
• New: Steel warping torsion checks
• New: Visual bracing locations
• New: Moving Loads and Dynamic results are now checked**

1. Analysis-only in 2D and 3D
2. *with Design: Adds code checks
3. **Advanced with Design: Adds nonlinear, time-history, and more

Compare the 3 Levels.

Compare with other IES Products.

Model

• CAD-Like Selection Box
• End Releases Display "on selection"
• North setting in Design Criteria

Load

• Live Load Patterns** with automatic load combinations
• Easy Customization of Building Code Load Combinations

Analyze

• Greater Accuracy and Stability

Design

• Easier Bracing Options
• Steel Design includes Seismic-Compactness
• Design Checks for Dynamic Response**
• Steel Warping Torsion Checks**

See all items for What's New in Version 9.0!

• Software
  • Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, or 7.0. Both 32-bit and 64-bit are supported.
  • Not tested: Linux, Unix, Apple-based systems,  (or similar).  If it works great, if not we cannot help.
  • Not supported: Windows 98, ME, 2000, NT, Virtual PC (limited graphics)
• Hardware
  • Any modern CPU: faster is better.
  • 1 GB RAM, minimum
  • 1024x768 minimum display resolution, or better
  • Recommended: A high-quality graphics card, 128+ MB RAM, OpenGL 2.1+ support, with an updated driver! Turn on anti-aliasing in your video card settings for the best quality images.
  • Wheel-mouse. (3-buttons)
  • ~50 MB disk space for programs, program data, utilities and libraries
  • Typical project files range from 1K to 1MB, much larger files are created with saved analysis results
  • Internet connection required for some features

• Custom Shapes through IES ShapeBuilder (sold separately)
• Spread Footing Design through IES QuickFooting (sold separately)
• Mat Foundation Design through IES VisualFoundation (sold separately)
• Export to Google SketchUp (built-in)
• Integration with Autodesk Revit Structure with IES VARevitLink** (free with advanced)
• Import and Export: DXF, STD, POL, SDNF, TXT, XLS
• Batch Analysis for command-line operation, programmatic access

• Not an 'ANSYS' or 'NASTRAN'; VisualAnalysis is practical, down-to-earth friendly!
• Not a 'turn-key' system for building or truss design. You decide the layout, pick initial member sizes, etc. (No automatic total structural optimization.)
• Does not run inside or integrated with AutoCAD (or any other CAD tool)
• No internal pipe pressures
• No orthotropic materials (linear isotropic only)
• No solid (brick) elements
• No curved beams (you may simulate through 'chords')
• No ice-loading (say for transmission towers)
• No staged loading
• No nonlinear buckling analysis, full plastic analysis, pushover analysis
• No pre-stressed or post-tensioned concrete design
• No AASHTO bridge design (multiple lanes, code checks)